Forensic Scientist Ai
by Eroskigal
Summary: Highschooler Myano Shiho is a fairly well known forensic detective, using her medical knowledge to help shed light on various cases. However, she falls into a situation where she turns seven years old once again. As Haibara Ai, she is on a quest to take down the Organization that shrunk her, and the mysterious new kid Edogawa might just have some answers. RoleSwitch!AU
1. Beginnings Of A Shrunken Scientist

縮んだ科学者の始まり

Beginnings Of A Shrunken Scientist

She shifted her eyes from left to right, watching the scene that laid before her. All she wanted was at least one night of fun, but no, apparently it was too much to ask, and now she had to wait it out because of a small incident. Well, if you count a murder case as 'small'. The brown-haired girl lifted her head back and let out a sigh. This wasn't even the first one she had been to, and it surprised her how used to it she was.

What had happened was, she had been invited over to this fancy party in this big house, where she could meet a bunch of people who were interested in her work. Most of them were famous people, too. She wanted so badly to ask her boyfriend to come and pick her up, but she had to wait it out. If not for her being there at the time, then it was for another reason. After all, she didn't exactly come to the party alone.

"The victim's name is Takakura Mayumi, age 26," Takagi read, "She is the CEO of a large and wealthy corporation. Her only known relatives are her aunt and little brother, both currently living in Fukuoka."

Megure-keibu, the one in charge of the investigation, turned to look at the people present. "And who was the one that discovered the body?"

The brown-haired girl stood from her seat. "That would be me."

The Inspector's eyes widened upon seeing her. "A-Akemi-kun!? If you're here, then that must mean..."

Megure's eyes trailed off as he looked over at the corpse. Indeed, his suspicions were correct as a high school girl, younger that Akemi, with a reddish-brown bob and a casual black knee-length dress, was kneeling beside the corpse and examining it. The woman was found in her bedroom with her throat slashed. The only problem was, the door had been locked without signs of forced entry, and the windows were so small the only a child could fit through. Just your typical locked room murder scenario.

"Her lipstick is smudged and her foundation seems to be as well. Not to mention her priceless hairpin is lying on the floor. It's clear there was a struggle, but I still don't know how the criminal managed to escape a locked room."

Megure smiled with disbelief. "Nice to see you again, Shiho-kun."

The Inspector really did love it when the high school scientist-detective would help Division One solve murders with her medical smarts, but it just seemed that where ever a case was happening, she just coincidentally happened to be there. It was like she was cursed or something. "From the way her eyes are closed, she looks as if she was sleeping. It's best to have an autopsy done as soon as possible, that way, we'll know if she was drugged with sleeping pills."

"Um, right, we'll take care of that shortly."

Shiho figured she had some time before they came for the body, to look at the suspects. Not only was she talented in forensics, but she also had a love for psychology, which was a key factor in determining who the culprit was.

The first suspect was her husband, Takakura Saburo. He was the editor of a popular modeling magazine that dealt in all the newest trends for both genders. His outward personality was that of a supportive husband. The second suspect, Ishiyuri Rei, was the woman's secretary. She handled all the important things, such as appointments and so forth. Her outward personality was shy and a bit intimidated, it seemed. The third was Wataru Yuuki, a model for Takakura-san's magazine. His outward personality was a spoiled rich boy.

Shiho, unaware of their motives as of now, considered her first priority figuring out the trick. Quietly, she wandered outside, below the window of the room where the CEO was killed. Using the flashlight watch the Professor gave her, she looked around the yard for anything that could have been used for the locked room trick. It was then that she recalled something that she saw when she first laid eyes on the crime scene.

The were two holes on opposite sides of the wall, although they were so high that they almost touched the celling. It was almost as if a curtain had been hung there once. That one thought was enough to send a volt through Shiho's mind. "Perhaps...if that was how it was done..."

She said nothing more as she sped off to the small pond that rested on the property. She barely missed it, but luckily, she had keen eyes and was able to catch it. Out of the dark waters, she was able to pull out a long stick, exactly as long as the the width of the room. attached to it, there was some fishing line, as well as the one thing the police hadn't found yet. The dagger that sliced the CEO's neck. "Well this is rather convenient. It took me less time to figure it out than usual."

"Did you figure out the trick?"

Shiho turned around to find her older sister Akemi staring back at her with interest. With a confident smirk, she answered. "Yeah. It's pretty simple with the right materials."

"Ooh, can you tell me?"

Shiho stood and faced her sister. "I could, Onee-chan, but I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise."

After a few pouts and beggings later, everyone was settled in the room of the crime scene. "Have you figured out the trick the murderer used?" Takagi-keiji asked with interest.

A nod. "Yeah, I was able to figure out the trick, although the culprit still has yet to be identified."

"Oh, well, whatever you can show us would be a big help." After clearing her throat, Shiho revealed the long stick, and unsurprisingly, received a reaction from one of the suspects. Smirking in success that the culprit had finally identified themselves, she started.

"The first thing the killer did was tie some fishing line around the pole creating a ring that could slide easily off both ends." She demonstrated as such. "After that, they tied another string to the first one, allowing them to be able to control the motions from outside that window. Chiba-keiji, Takagi-keiji, would you be so kind as to place this stringed stick to where it matches those two marks on the walls?"

The two officers did what she had asked, and it matched perfectly. "The next thing the culprit did, was attach the murder weapon, a sharp dagger that would slice the neck on contact, onto the bottom of the first string." She used a pen in it's place since she couldn't use the actual dagger. "Takagi-keiji, could you go outside and pull the second string from the window?"

"H-Hai!" After waiting for him to appear at the window, everyone saw Takagi pull the string across the stick, where the pen bellow was pulled across the area where a person's neck would lie. "I see." Takagi observed, "But how do you remove the evidence?"

"All you need to do is grab the stick next to the window and pull it out. As for locking the door, if you use the stick, you could easily lock it from that distance."

Takagi demonstrated and pushed on the lock using the stick. "She's right!"

Megure nodded. "It's very impressive how you figured that out, but we still don't know who the culprit is."

Shiho smirked. "Actually, I've already figured it out."

Takagi and Megure both shouted in unison. "You have!?"

"That's right. I put it together when I saw their reaction after I brought in the stick."

"Well, don't just leave us standing here! Who is it?"

"The culprit is..." She sent a smirk their way. "Wataru Yuuki! It can only be you!"

The magazine model froze with fear, but it went away after a split second. "What are you talking about? Anyone could have done that trick. What makes you think it was me?"

"Interesting point. I first started to suspect you when I heard your alibi. You claimed you were watching TV with Takakura-san, however, I remember you leaving for a minute to get to the kitchen, which isn't to far from Takakura-san's room. I know it's practically impossible for you to murder her in under a minute, which you didn't. You only drugged her to sleep, knowing it would last for hours, so when Ishiyuri-san went to check on her, she could conform that she was still alive. However, soon after, you left for another few minutes, only this time, you went outside and committed the crime. It's not possible to do it all at once with so little time, but if you split it up, it can be done."

She knew she hit the hammer on the nail, but the culprit would refuse to admit it. "That's ridiculous! You think I'm the killer because of that?"

"True, it's not enough to get you arrested..." She sent a stone cold glare his way. "However, if some of her makeup got on any of your clothes during the struggle, that would be more than enough."

Visibly, he tensed in front of everyone. The officers there offered to inspect his clothes, but there was no need as he broke down and confessed. While he was being escorted to the patrol car, Shiho spoke to her sister. "We're finished here, so you might want to call that boyfriend of yours and have him pick us up." Nodding, Akemi fished out her phone.

* * *

Shiho and Akemi walked out to the car of a man Akemi's age, in all black with a cap on his head. "Judging by all these police cars, it's obvious there was a case here."

Akemi nodded. "And guess who solved it once again?"

Akai didn't even have to guess, he just smiled at his girlfriend's younger sister, knowing how much she loved what she did. "Come on Shuu-chan, it's been a long night and I'm tired." Akemi whined.

Shiho smirked. "Yeah, let's get a move on, Shuu-chan."

He smiled a bit at the name she only used when she was trying to make fun of him. Personally, Shiho knew her sister made an excellent choice in choosing him, and knew that he would protect them if something were to ever happen. It also gave her something to make fun of and/or gag at whenever they got all lovey-dovey.

Nevertheless, it was going great for her right now and she didn't know how her life could get any better. Her parents' coming back to life might help, but she knew that was impossible since they died such a long time ago. But she had her sister, and she had Akai, and that was enough to get her though.

* * *

Between schoolwork and case solving, it seemed that Shiho didn't have much time to herself. Not that she minded, since she loved doing both of those things, but Akemi felt like she hadn't seen her sister in forever. That was why, on the weekend after finals, she declared that the two of them were going to have a girls day out at Tropical Land, just the two of them.

It was fun for the most part, although Shiho really wasn't really one for the big rides, unlike her sister. They were now sitting in a Tropical Land café, having lunch at a table in the corner. For some reason, whenever they ate out, Shiho would always pick the most secluded table. Akemi dealt with it, though, seeing as her sister wasn't a big people person.

Except it happened again, and Akemi could not receive the normal day she was hoping for. Because right in front of them, a man had started choking on his coffee. A minute had passed before he had wound up on the floor, and by then, the police were already on their way. The had to cancel the ambulance, however, because the man was already dead.

Once Megure-keibu arrived, he was hardly shocked to find the forensics detective there yet again. After a while, the suspects were all accounted for. The dead man was sitting in a corner table as well, so there could only be so many tables around him.

"The deceased is Toyota Makoto, age 44, his known relatives are his parents who live in Northern Tokyo."

Shiho was already observing the scene with the magnifying glass she always carried. According to her, a Forensics Detective always had to be ready, despite her sister's complaints. She had come to the conclusion that he died of cyanide poisoning. Of course, for that to happen, someone would have to slip by and pour it in, and the security cameras showed that it was only the people at the nearby tables who could have done it.

The suspects in question were Yamaha Kozue, his business partner, who was sitting across from him at the time of the crime. The other two were Kino Minene, Toyota-san's ex-girlfriend, and Tachibana Yuudai, her new boyfriend. Apparently, the two of them were there to make Toyota-san jealous while he was doing business with Yamaha-san.

There were two others, however they weren't really 'suspects' more like witnesses. They were two teenage boys, about the same age as her. One was dressed in a refined uniform and had feathered hair accompanied by a cowlick, while the other had dark tanned skin and was wearing more casual clothing as well as his hat worn backwards, which revealed a spike in his hair. She didn't catch their names, but something about them just didn't feel right. But she would deal with that later, as right now, she had a case to solve.

* * *

"It's clear who the murderer is." Shiho, who only got dramatic during moments like these, pointed them out. "The killer is you! Tachibana Yuudai!"

The same thing played again, the culprit tried to defend themselves, then once actual proof was given, they broke down and confessed. Apparently, Kino-san had pressured him into doing it, and through a few pulling of some strings, she had been arrested as well. Before the sisters left, Shiho looked around and noticed that those boys from before were gone. Oh well, they probably just went home to get away from all the chaos. It's not like they were suspects themselves after all.

It was getting pretty late, and the two of them found themselves walking to the car. "I still don't understand how you can get used to something like this. I don't understand, but now I'm used to it. It just happens so frequently, how do you handle it?"

Shiho shrugged. "I just solve the case, and then I try to forget what happened. They're fun to solve, but someone did die after all."

It was then that something caught Shiho's eye. One of those boys from before, the one with the cowlick, was holding a briefcase and looking around to see if anyone else was watching. She knew there was something wrong with those boys, and now she could prove it. She immediately ran after him, leaving Akemi behind. "Wait, Shiho!"

She wasn't answered back, however. Shiho stopped at the corner and watched an interaction between the boy and a man, who also had a briefcase with him. The man's had pills inside, while the boy's had money, possibly stolen. However, since Shiho was too busy watching the transaction, she failed to notice another figure creeping up behind her with a large rock, at least, until it was too late.

She tried her best to keep her consciousness as she fell to the ground, only able to hear the voices of the two boys who were definitely up to something illegal. "What do you think we should do with her, Honjozo." The first voice spoke.

Shiho had tried to keep her consciousness, but it was fading fast. "There's no oth'r choice, Daiginjo, she saw something she shouldn't h've."

Wait, was that...Kansai-ben? And what about those names. Honjozo and Daiginjo? Weren't those both types of sake? Why would they be named after Japanese alcohol?

"How 'bout we use a pill on 'er? The boss said to try 'em out."

Boss? There was someone behind all this? Maybe this ran deeper than she thought. Shiho could hear the sound of a case opening. "They're still in testing, but they should have their intended effect. It was my parents who made them, after all."

They put a pill inside her mouth, and poured some water along with it. "This should be enough, now let's get going. We have what we need."

"Sure thing." The boy who spoke with Kansai-ben agreed.

Shiho listened to their voices disappear around the corner, and she couldn't keep conscious any longer.


	2. The Introduction Of Haibara Ai

の導入灰原 哀  
The Introduction Of Haibara Ai

Shiho didn't know how long she had been out, drifting in between consciousness, but she was unfortunate enough to be awoken due to a large pain, pulsating throughout her. Her eyes shot themselves open, but she found herself unable to move from her position.

Putting her arms around herself, she remembered what had transpired earlier in the evening, when two teenagers snuck up on her and knocked her out, forcing her to take a pill with unknown effects. Well, she knew that said effects were already starting to take place, as an incomprehensible pain fled through her body. Another pulsation was felt, so Shiho immediately clutched onto her heart.

 _"Kuso! This hurts! What did those two do to me!"_

Another one struck her leg, and she let out a small yelp. Whatever was happening right now, would probably affect her and those around her for the rest of her life, but if she could get out of this alive, then that's really what counted.

 _"Who were they? Were they part of some syndicate? N-Never mind! It hurts too much to think!"_

She wanted to take some deep breaths, but it wouldn't be allowed. She felt like she could hardly breath at all, although it was quite the contrary. As her heavy breathing continued, she clutched her heart tighter, and a single angry thought had crossed her mind.

 _"I'll find those two again, I'll bring their syndicate down, and make them regret getting me involved! They have no idea what an enemy they've made!"_

Whatever was supposed to occur was finally ready to happen, because in the next moment, everything went dark.

"KKYAAAAAAA!"

* * *

Again, Shiho found herself in the same position as before, except it was just a tad different this time. she could see lights in the distance, bouncing around, and they seemed to be getting closer, although her mind was too fuzzy at the moment to conclude what they were.

"Where did that scream come from?" She heard a voice ask.

She started sharpening her mind, so she could comprehend the situation at hand. "I know it came from somewhere around here." A female voice answered.

Shiho couldn't find the voice within her to speak, so she remained quiet. She had heard those voices many times before, and knew that they wouldn't be a threat. "Well, we can't stay around forever, the security might send us away for loitering."

"I know that! Let's just look around a little longer. Someone might be in danger."

The two lights bounced around some more, until Shiho had to shield her eyes, because they were directly on her. Shiho knew she was right about the voice's owners once she got a good look at the two of them, and now, she seemed able to speak. "T-Takagi-keiji! Satou-keiji!"

Their reaction to this was not expected, as the two police officers just exchanged looks with each other, as if they didn't know how she might know their names. Satou-keiji smiled at her. "It looks like you've fallen and hit your head. Would you like us to take you to the hospital, little girl?"

Shiho blinked with wide eyes. _"Little girl? That can't be right. Can't they tell I'm in High School?"_

"S-Satou-keiji, what are you talking about? Don't you recognize me?"

Takagi-keiji whispered something next to Satou's ear, which was still within Shiho's earshot. "Um, Satou-san, I think she might be suffering from shock, probably due to a run-in with a criminal."

Her eyes widened even further. "That's a good point. I'll call the Inspector."

Shiho felt like fainting at that point, but she stayed awake. "Are you kidding me! It's me! I've solved tons of cases with the police, remember!? I'm Mya-"

She really started to take notice of the event as she looked down at her own hand. It had obviously been shrunken. Quickly she looked around and realized that her own close didn't fit her anymore. They seemed to have outgrown her. _"You're kidding..."_

Satou-keiji was on the phone in the next minute, and was talking to the Inspector. "Megure-keibu, we've found a little girl who seems to have seen a criminal. She's probably undergoing shock right now."

The phone call continued, so Takagi-keiji took this time to reassure the little girl. "It'll be alright, Mya-chaaaa-"

He trailed off upon realizing that she had disappeared. "Ah, S-S-Satou-san!"

Turning to him, she took her ear away from the phone. "Hmm? What is it, Takagi-kun?"

"U-Um, she kind of ran off."

* * *

Maneuvering around town with little legs and clothes that didn't fit wouldn't exactly be considered easy. However, there was only one place she could think to go, and she had to get there, so she could explain everything that had happened. Shiho knocked on the door, every second she had to wait feeling like something bad could happen. The door opened, and her sister's boyfriend stood, eyeing the newly-shrunken child.

"A-Akai-san! It's me! Shiho! I need your help!"

Akai only raised an eyebrow. "If you really need to see Myano Shiho, I can tell you where you can find her."

He was giving her the same look that was given to her by the officers. "I am her! That's what I'm trying to tell you!"

Akai obviously didn't buy it, because a little kid showing up at ones doorstep claiming to be someone they knew was a tad bit insane. "I think I need to call your parents."

"Wait! I can prove I'm Shiho!"

Akai stopped, curious to see how. And so, putting on her usual smirk, she began her deduction. "This evening, you went to dinner at Gosho's Sushi Bar with two of your college friends. After that, you went to pick up some clothes from the dry cleaners, and bought a cake to celebrate you and my sister's anniversary. Is that not what happened?"

Akai was a little stunned, but was able to speak. "How did you know all that?"

"That's easy. There's a receipt for Gosho's, sticking out of your pocket. And since you dislike both Masago and Ikura, you must have been the one to order the Inari, which means that you were with your friends, who happen to love those two menu items. As for the dry cleaners, there's a hanger on that closet doorknob, and it had a tag used exclusively by the Beika Dry Cleaners. Also, there's a cake box on the kitchen table. Seeing as you haven't put it in the fridge yet, you must have just bought it. If any of that was incorrect, I'll admit I'm not Shiho."

Akai stood with his mouth agape, not believing what was occurring before him. "S-Shiho-chan?"

With a tired sigh, Shiho nodded. "Yes, it's me."

"If that's you, then how did you become like this?"

"Let's just say, it's a really long story."

* * *

About an hour later, Shiho and Akai were sitting across from each other on different couches, with Shiho taking a sip of her tea and Akai contemplating his thoughts. "If what you just told me is true, then those boys are a part of some big illegal organization. And since they said that the pill should have it's 'intended effects', I can't help but wonder what they meant by that."

Putting her tea down, Shiho sighed. Fortunately, Akai had remembered a box that Akemi had brought over. It was scheduled to be delivered to charity, however, Shiho's old Elementary School uniform was still in there, so he pulled it out. She wasn't very happy to find that it actually fit her. Looking at her blue jacket and grey skirt in the mirror almost made her feel nostalgic, but she was soon reminded how it had came to that in the first place.

 _"Daiginjo, Honjozo, I will make you two pay for this."_

"But nevertheless, this Organization must be dangerous. If they find out that Myano Shiho is still alive, you and everyone around you will be in danger. It's best to hide your identity for now."

Akai stood and walked out of the room for half a minute, while Shiho took another sip of her tea. When he reentered the room, he plopped a baseball cap on her head. "You're a fan of Big Osaka, right?"

Shiho nodded. "Yeah, but that's mostly because of Ryuusuke Higo."

Taking his place on the couch, Akai continued. "As I was saying, you can't let anyone know about your true identity, not even Akemi-chan. I don't think she would keep quiet about something like this."

Shiho knew he was right, but keeping something like this from her sister? She didn't think she would be able to pull that off. As if on cue, a knock was heard at the door. "I'll get that. If it's your sister, you might wanna hide."

Taking his suggestion, Shiho got off of the couch and hid behind it. Akai opened the door, only to find a worried looking Akemi standing on the porch. "Akemi-chan? What are you doing here so late?"

"Um, well you see, Shiho hasn't come home yet, and I'm kind of worried. I thought she might have come here."

"I haven't seen her come by at all tonight. Would you like to come in?"

Akemi silently nodded, and Shiho silently panicked. What was she supposed to do if Akemi found out her secret too early? She would have to keep hiding until her sister left. Akemi sat on the couch that was previously occupied by Shiho, and noticed the cold cup of tea on the coffee table. "Did you have someone over?"

Akai then realized the existence of the crucial evidence that he had in fact. "Uh, well about that..."

Shiho used this time to sneak away, but her eyes were so focused on her sister, that she completely failed to notice a wrinkle in the carpet, which caused her to trip forward. "Kya!"

Her hat flew off, which wasn't a good thing, but she was too focused on her pain from being hit by a rock earlier, returning. Akemi craned her neck to see the child rubbing the bruise on her head. "Huh, who's this?" Shiho panicked as she remembered the situation at hand, but had time to do nothing about it. Akemi had already removed herself from her seat and got on her knees to reach her level. The whole point of having a hat was to help her hide, but it was useless when she didn't have it on. "This child..."

She stared at her hard, making Shiho extremely uncomfortable. There really was only one way to escape this, so she decided to turn up her voice pitch and play dumb. "A-Akai san, who is this lady?"

From around the corner of the couch, Akai appeared. "This is my girlfriend, Myano Akemi. Akemi-chan, this is Haibara Ai, a distant relative of mine."

Shiho -now apparently 'Haibara Ai'- watched her sister for any kind of reaction. She had stopped staring at her so hard and smiled instead. "Nice to meet you, Ai-chan. I'm sorry I scared you."

Ai stopped looking so worried and calmed down a bit. "Nice to meet you too."

Akai took his turn to speak. "So, anyway, she was sent to stay with me, but the house isn't ready for a child to live in. Do you think you could watch her for a while?"

Ai cringed as she picked up her Big Osaka baseball cap. What was Akai thinking? "I guess that's okay, although I'll probably have to ask Shiho about it."

Akai looked back at Ai, who clearly wasn't happy with his decision. "Oh wait, I just remembered! The last time I was here, I left my jacket behind."

"I think I remember seeing it in the laundry. I'll go get it."

Ai really didn't want to be alone with Akemi just yet, plus she needed to talk to Akai in private. "I-I'll come too!"

She rushed to his side, taking one look back at her sister, before she spoke. "So, what's your deal? You said I needed to keep my secret from her, yet you're sending me home with her?"

He only smiled. "It'll be fine. All you have to do is act like a child. Just don't do anything to make her suspicious."

"One, I think she's already suspicious considering the way she looked at me, and two, what's with that name you chose for me? Haibara Ai?"

"I just really liked the name is all. Plus I figured you could use one, since hiding your identity will be easier that way."

Ai sighed. "Alright, but as for the kanji, you did have the 'sorrow' Ai in mind, right?"

"Actually it was the 'love' Ai, but if you insist." Whether it was love or sorrow, Ai knew stuck in this situation, and she would only have to make the best of it.

* * *

The Big Osaka cap was placed securely on Ai's head as she walked home hand in hand with her sister. The problem was, however, that she couldn't actually admit that they were sisters, no matter how badly she wanted to. To fill the silence, Akemi started up a conversation. "Are you a Big Osaka fan?"

Ai looked up and only nodded. "You know, my sister's a Big Osaka fan too, but she mostly loves that player Higo."

The shrunken Shiho couldn't find it in her to leave the conversation one-sided. "Y-Yeah, I've been watching him play since he left Noir Tokyo."

"Oh really? I think he's facing off with Hide in a Big vs. Spirits game."

"I-I know. I'm looking forward to that."

The walk dragged on in silence a little longer, until Akemi broke it. "I wonder if Shiho's home already."

Ai's eyes widened, seeing as she alreay knew the answer to that. "Um, you mean Shiho-neechan?"

"Wait, you mean you know her?"

"Oh, um, yeah, I know her. I guess you could say I'm her apprentice."

"Hmm? I didn't know Shiho had an apprentice. Is she teaching you about science?"

Ai nodded. "And cases."

"Well, that should be fun. Shiho is kind of a case-a-holic, after all."

With that, Ai stopped in her tracks. Akemi was concerned. "Ai-chan. Is something wrong?"

The girl merely looked down at the concrete sidewalk.

"...Akemi-neechan."

Her eyebrows were raised. "Hmm?"

Ai was struggling with what to do. Should she tell her the truth and risk her safety? Or should she lie and keep her safe? "...Never mind, it's nothing."

Akemi was curious what that 'nothing' was, but let it go.


	3. Murder Case At Haido Hospital - Part 1

で殺人事件杯戸中央病院  
部一

Murder Case At Haido Hospital  
Part 1

Akemi held her head in her hand with worry. Although it had been a week, Shiho had not returned home. In fact, she hadn't seen her since she ran off after that case at Tropical Land. She wondered if something might have happened to her. Maybe she should have called the police. And now she was sharing the house with a child named Haibara Ai, who apparently was a distant relative of Akai.

When she first saw her, she had to admit that the child bore a remarkable resemblance to Shiho. She even wore her old elementary school uniform, and was a fan of Big Osaka. She also had to admit that she was a tad suspicious that Ai might actually be a shrunken Shiho, but that couldn't possibly be the case, right? The next thing she knew, her cell phone had started ringing.

She thought it might have been a call from Akai or one of her other friends, but to her surprise, it actually turned out to be from Shiho. Not hesitating for a second, she answered the phone. "Shiho? Shiho, where are you?"

"Onee-chan, I'm sorry I haven't called. I'm rather busy right now, and I couldn't find a properly working phone after mine went in for repairs." Shiho's voice on the other end sounded a bit different, almost like a child trying to feign an adult voice. Oh well, it was probably just the phone connection.

"It's been a week! Where have you been?"

"I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, but I was invited to help work on a big case. I was just so excited that I forgot to tell you. Anyways, you don't have to worry about me. I'll definitely come back."

Sitting back, Akemi felt most of her worry dissipate. "So, I hear my apprentice has been living with you."

Her mind flashed back to Ai. "Yeah, she has. I didn't even know you had an apprentice before I met her."

"She's an elementary school kid I met a while back, who had an interest in science and mystery novels, so I thought I'd take her under my wing. She should keep you company while I'm gone."

With a tired sigh, Akemi agreed. "Alright, just be safe."

"Of course. Well, I'll talk you later, Onee-chan."

After the phone hung up, Akemi was at least relieved to know that Shiho wasn't in any danger. Although there was something that was bothering her.

"Why did she forget to tell me about something so important?"

* * *

Ai didn't want to continue living like this, but she knew she had no choice in the matter. And living like this, also meant she would have to go places with Akemi, without revealing her secret, such as today. Today, Ai and Akemi were walking down the halls of the Haido Central Hospital, and Ai of course, was wearing her hat, because she figured that the less people recognized her, the better.

"Um, Akemi-neechan, why did we come here again?"

Taking her eyes off the bouquet in her hand, Akemi answered. "We're here to see a friend of mine. She broke her arm a week ago, and I promised I'd come see her."

Ai nodded. "Is she one of your college friends?"

"Yeah, we both have the same art class together."

Asking no further questions, the sisters rode up the elevator all the way to the seventh floor. "Let's see, I think her room number is 715. That sounds about right."

Ai noticed as a nearby nurse came out of the door nearest to them. A doctor approached, and she overheard their conversation. "Well Hina-san, how's this patient doing?"

The nurse, a slender lady with hair that extended to her shoulders, smiled. "Umito-san is doing fine. I just changed the fluid, so he should get better soon."

The doctor smiled. "Well, that's good to hear. Keep up the good work!"

Smiling, the nurse watched him as he walked away. It was then that Ai noticed her smile turn grim. "Yes, that _is_ very good to hear."

Ai gave at hard stare at the woman, believing that she may be up to something potentially murderous. "Ai-chan, what's wrong?" Akemi gave the girl a concerned stare.

Ai shook out of it. "Nothing. It's alright."

She continued walking with her sister, although she would have to remember to keep and eye on that woman.

* * *

Visiting Akemi's friend admittedly wasn't too bad. She seemed nice enough and they didn't stay for very long. All Ai wanted to do right then was go home and relax to some Okino Youko music. Unfortunately, that wouldn't happen until much later.

"KYYYAAAAAA!"

Ai didn't even think before she ran towards the sound of the scream. Akemi followed her, of course. The door to the room they had passed earlier was wide open, and a short-haired nurse was backed up on the floor, her face etched in horror. Ai turned her attention to the patient. A dead man was lying on the bed, his face bearing an expression as if he died while in a struggle.

"Akemi-neechan! Call the police! Quickly!"

Still trying to overcome her shock, Akemi pulled her phone out.

* * *

The police had arrived fairly quickly, and now the investigation could commence. Except, unfortunately for Ai, the two people who had found her that night were there as well. She thought she could play it cool by casually standing by with her hat on, but it seemed that it was never to be.

"Hmm? Hey, weren't you that little girl we found the other night?" Satou-keiji recognized her immediately.

Takagi overheard their conversation and decided to join in. "Yeah, if I recall, wasn't your name Mya-chan?"

Akemi raised an eyebrow. "Mya-chan?"

Ai panicked a little. "Erm, no, that's um-"

Satou eyed the girl with a suspicious glare. "And how come you disappeared all of a sudden? Didn't you witness a criminal or something?"

She had hit it right on the mark, but there was no way Ai would ever admit that. "Um actually-"

"Criminal? Do you two know her?"

Takagi nodded. "Yeah, we found her after we heard a loud scream while we were at Tropical Land. She had a bruise on her head, and she seemed like she was in shock."

Akemi's eyes looked to Ai for an explanation. "Tropical Land?"

Stumbling, Ai tried to come up with a good story. "Y-Yeah. I went there with a friend one night, but we got separated, and while I was looking for them, I accidently fell and hit my head. I didn't see a criminal at all."

At least she wished that was the case. "Also, my name isn't Mya, it's Haibara Ai."

Her real name actually was Mya, as in, Myano Shiho. But she couldn't say it, no matter how badly she wanted to. Nevertheless, the case resumed, and hunt for the killer began.

"You were the one who found the body?" Megure asked the short-haired nurse.

"U-Um yes, that's right. My name is Amano Shiri. I just recently started working as a nurse here. After they heard my scream, two others came in the room after me."

She motioned over to Akemi, standing near the wall. Megure was hardly surprised. "Let me guess, your sister's here too, isn't she?"

"Um, well about that..."

Megure's attention was drawn to the strange little girl in the hat, examining the body like a professional detective. "I can't find any holes on his arms or neck, so I doubt he was poisoned with a needle. His mouth doesn't smell of almond, so it likely wasn't cyanide. In any case, we should find out the method of poisoning so we can determine..."

The shrunken Shiho turned to find everyone staring at her in disbelief. Then she remembered the situation at hand. "...Is what Shiho-neechan would say."

Akemi grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her away from the body. "Sorry about that! I promise we'll stay out of your way!"

Ai struggled to escape her sister's firm grip, but it just couldn't be helped. "We'll be in the waiting room until you're ready to question us!"

She was dragged out of the room, her sister's grip unfaltering. "A-Akemi-neechan!"

She looked up at the face of the college girl with an unreadable expression. It was scary. "O...nee-chan."

They eventually made it to the seventh floor waiting room, and Akemi let Ai free from her hold. She was afraid to ask what was wrong, in fear of the answer. How could she have been so stupid? Would one little slip up result in her secret becoming known to the one she wants to protect the most? She couldn't let it come to that, so she had to play dumb. "Akemi-neechan, i-is something wrong?"

She only stood there, her expression hard to decipher. At least until Ai noticed a small smile. "It's nothing. I guess I just miss my sister is all. That observation you made sounded a lot like something she would say. I'm sorry if it bothers you."

Ai shook her head immediately. "No, not at all! I get it. I get what you're going through."

Akemi looked up. "Really? You do?"

Truthfully, Ai nodded. "Y-Yeah. I guess you can say I'm going through something similar."

Akemi smiled and bent down to her level. "Well then, if you ever need to talk, you can always come to me."

Ai smiled a little. "Thanks, Akemi-neechan."

 _"Although unfortunately, I could never talk to you about something like this."_

The two of them were about to walk back to the crime scene, just as Ai overheard something coming from the TV. "In one hospital, located in Gunma Prefecture, mysterious deaths have occurred to many patients. Reports say that it was the work of a single person, although their identity is not yet known, although police theorize that the culprit may be someone who works there. Nevertheless, the strange deaths at this hospital seemed to have stopped, with the whereabouts of the perpetrator still unknown."

Akemi was also listening to this news story, since she had hear the word 'hospital'. She thought it might have something to do with a hospital in Tokyo, but it seems that it wasn't the case. "Scary. I couldn't imagine someone like that just prowling around a hospital like this and taking patients as victims. I guess we're lucky there's no one like that here."

Ai started thinking about the two cases. _"That particular case happened in Gunma, so it isn't very likely that the same criminal from those cases would come here. Just as well, how did the victim receive poison in the first place? If it wasn't through a needle or a pill, then what was it? Also, there's the matter of the woman I saw earlier today. She most likely has something to do with this."_

As if speaking of the devil, that very same nurse was being interviewed by the police. "I have a busy schedule you know! Why am I even here? You wouldn't be suspecting me by any chance, would you?"

Takagi-keiji tried to calm her down. "Now, now, we just need to know if you saw anyone suspicious enter the victim's room."

She shook her head haughtily. "No, I haven't. I'm his nurse, so I think I would know."

Ai knew that the woman was definitely suspicious, considering how she saw her murderous smile in the hallway. Perhaps she already had her culprit, just waiting to make her escape. All she needed to do now was find evidence and somehow prove that she was the culprit, without revealing her secret. She glared back at the woman and smirked.

 _"Just you wait. I'll put you in jail and have you pay for your crimes."_


	4. Murder Case At Haido Hospital - Part 2

で殺人事件杯戸中央病院  
部二

Murder Case At Haido Hospital  
Part 2

Gasai Hina was the name of this suspicious nurse.

Ai knew she was hiding something, just as such, she was probably the one who murdered the victim. The problem was, she lacked evidence. An even bigger problem was that she couldn't solve cases the way she usually did, otherwise people would find out her secret. Especially Akemi. What would be the most appropriate way to assist in this case? That would have to wait for later.

For now, she needed evidence to capture her killer. She quietly opened the door, but unfortunately, it wasn't quiet enough. "Ai-chan? Where are you going?"

She feigned a child-like smile. "Akemi-neechan. Don't worry, I'll be right back."

The older girl let her go, so Ai headed to the elevator and down to the nurses station on the first floor. Once she arrived, she looked around with childlike wonder, merely acting her part.

"Excuse me." She said to one of the nurses.

The nurse looked at her with a kind smile. "What is it, sweetie?"

"Megure-keibu told me to ask you some questions about a nurse who works here."

"Oh really? Who?"

"Someone named Gasai Hina."

The nurse's smile changed to something less happy. "Oh, her. Apparently, her parents are patrons at this hospital, so she got the job for free. But she's terrible. She's always so passive-aggressive, not just to her coworkers but to her patients. There was even a case where she flat out refused to give a patient their medicine."

Ai nodded. "How long has she worked here?"

She shrugged. "About four years, I think."

She smiled. "Thank you, I'll be sure to let the Inspector know!"

As she walked off, her expression changed into that of a serious detective. _"This woman seems like she would be an obvious choice for a suspect, but I can't be sure without evidence. Furthermore, how did she poison him? They even checked the saline bag, but there was nothing but saline in it. So how..."_

Something struck her mind, the more she thought about it. _"Maybe that's how it was done!"_

She hurried up to the seventh floor, the elevator seeming to take forever. However, the second she stepped out, she heard a loud, piercing scream. Immediately, she took off, running to the open door where she saw a doctor backing up. She looked inside and found a woman lying dead.

* * *

Megure-keibu wasn't particularly happy that someone had managed to kill someone with police patrolling the floor. But that meant another job had come up, and now they had to track down the one who murdered them.

"Minamoto Arina, age 26, a freelance artist who was hospitalized due to a broken rib." Takagi recited.

The search continued and Ai only looked at the suspect with a stone cold glare. If she was in the room the entire time, then how did she poison the second victim. She had no choice, other than to stay for police questioning. _"Although perhaps, maybe my original idea wasn't wrong. It still has yet to be proven."_

She silently snuck off, away from Akemi and the others, and headed for the seventh floor drug lab. Luckily for her, it was empty. She looked through the cabinets until she found what she was looking for. A jar rested inside one of the cabinets, and once she saw its contents, she knew she had found what she was looking for.

However, the jar alone wouldn't be proof enough, and if she handed it over to the police as a little kid, they would merely ride her off. There was only one thing to do, and that was to perform an investigation of her own. Quickly, she pulled out some clear tape from a cabinet door. She also conveniently found some talcum powder, along with a clean brush.

Carefully, she sprinkled some powder on the jar, then she placed the clear tape over a print. She then dusted the tape off gently with the brush and revealed the print. Now, all she had to do was confirm who the prints belonged to, and the truth would be clear.

* * *

Ai slowly snuck back inside, keeping her eyes out for any case files. The first one she spotted was one that a forensics officer had sat down on a nearby table. Quickly, she opened the file and took a peak. It was then,however, that Akemi decided to pry her away. "Hey, you can't do that! Don't interfere with the police!"

Ai sighed. "S-Sorry, Akemi-neechan."

But because of those files, the case was now ready to be closed. The problem was how she would introduce her deduction without revealing her secret. She had an idea, but it was a long shot. She scrolled through her phone and looked at various possible ringtones. She then picked a random one and let it play to where everyone could hear it. "Oh, sorry about that! I'll go take this call now!"

Akemi watched the girl as she took the phone into the hall, answering with, "Moshi Moshi."

Ai let the door close behind her, waiting about a minute and carrying a one-sided conversation, so as to not make it seem so suspicious. After a minute, she walked back inside, still pretending. "Are you serious, Shiho-neechan! You figured it out!?" She said it loud enough that the police overheard her.

"S-Shiho-kun?" Megure asked, wondering why the high school detective wasn't there in person.

Everyone watched as Ai nodded, as if she were talking to someone else. "I've got it! I'll show them, just like you said!"

Now she had everyone's attention. "So Shiho-san knows who the killer is?"

Ai nodded. "Yeah, and since she's not here right now, she entrusted it to me. I am her apprentice, after all."

Akemi widened her eyes, interested to see how this would play out. "So, who's the killer?"

"That will be revealed after the method of killing." From her pocket, Ai pulled the jar, carrying it inside a handkerchief. "This is the poison used to kill the victims."

One look at it, and Megure and Takagi gasped. "H-Hemlock?!"

A nod. "Yeah. Applying what I learned in my training, I checked the fingerprints on the jar using forensic science. And when I checked the fingerprints in the file, I found an exact match. You all have heard about the case of mysterious death's in Gunma hospitals, right?"

The Inspector as well as others, nodded. Smirking in success, much like how "Shiho-neechan" would, she pointed out the culprit. "The killer is you! Amano Shiri!"

The seemingly kind nurse who had found the first body seemed shocked, but her expression changed into something more confident. "Me? Why would you think that? Sure, my fingerprints may be on the jar, but that was from when I put it away in the cabinet. I must have missed the title, since I had no idea it was Hemlock, and furthermore, it wasn't detected anywhere excepts for inside the victim's bodies. So honestly, how could I have?"

Ai smirked. "The poison wasn't injected through a needle, since no holes in the skin were found. However, if the poison were inserted via saline bag, then it is more than possible."

The nurse's confidence remained intact. "What saline bag? The police found nothing of the sort."

"Well of course they haven't, after all, you still have it on you."

The nurse wanted to argue, but she found herself tongue-tied. "Not only were you responsible for the two deaths today, but you are the reason behind the mysterious deaths at the Gunma hospital. You just moved her from there pretty recently, didn't you? Gasai-san figured it out on her own, but instead of reporting you to the police, she told you she would keep quiet if you killed Umito-san, who unbeknownst to the hospital, was her ex-boyfriend."

She turned to the other nurse. "You wanted him killed because you saw him cheating with another woman. If Amano-san hadn't come along, you likely would have killed him yourself." The nurse was baffled.

"You, Amano-san, are good at putting on a kind smile, but underneath, I bet your only a psychopath. Why else would you create deaths indiscriminately?"

After that, she was arrested. She confessed to the murders at both hospitals, and was taken away. Ai had dealt with psychopaths before, but this time, she was glad not to see this one turn insane and attack everyone around her. At long last, the case had come to an end, and Ai walked down to the car with Akemi. "That was so cool! You solved that case all on your own!"

Ai shyly rubbed the back of her head. "It wasn't me, it was Shiho-neechan. I only did what she told me to."

"Oh? Well, how is Shiho doing?"

Ai pretended to think back. "From the tone of her voice, she sounded just fine. Although she said she was extremely busy and almost didn't answer my call."

Akemi nodded. "Then this must be one tough case. Normally, she'll solve cases in under twenty-four hours, so this one must be complex."

Ai slowly nodded. "Yeah, probably."

Akemi and Ai both got into the car. "I'm just glad the mystery behind all those strange deaths is solved."

Ai agreed, and they began their drive home. She looked out the window, deep inside her own thoughts. Akemi noticed this, and began a conversation. "Ai-chan, is something wrong?" Broken out of her thoughts, the shrunken Shiho shook her head. "No, it's nothing."

The silence progressed for another long minute, until Akemi decided to break it. "If there's anything wrong, you can talk to me about it. Just think of me as your older sister whom you can share anything with."

 _"But I already do..."_

"Thanks, Akemi-neechan, but I'm alright, really."

Akemi smiled. "That's good."

* * *

"So anyway, that's basically what happened." Akemi finished relaying the story to her boyfriend.

Akai nodded. "You know, I once heard that your sister had an apprentice somewhere, but I never though it would be my own distant relative." He said, smiling down at Ai, who only scowled.

"But I still don't understand why Shiho forgot to tell me about her case. I thought she would have at least mentioned it to me."

A slightly panicked look overcame Ai, but Akai remained calm. "Who knows? Maybe she really was just too excited and left immediately. But I wouldn't worry about her too much if I were you. I'm pretty sure that wherever she is, she's safe."

Akemi contemplated. "Yeah, you're probably right."

The day was coming to a close. Before they went home from the hospital, Akemi decided she wanted to talk to Akai in person. Ai was okay with that, so here they were, in Akai's living room. "At least Ai-chan's been keeping me company. If it was just me in our old house, I don't think I'd be able to stand it."

"Well then, maybe this was what Shiho-chan had intended to happen. If I hadn't asked you to take her in, maybe she would have instead. Either way, I'm sure she wouldn't run off on a case and purposely leave you alone." He secretly smiled at Ai, as the only other person who knew the truth.

While she knew that what he said was true, Ai hated to make her sister think that she had abandoned her and left her with some kid, who a week ago, didn't even know of her existence. That just seemed wrong, although it was the only thing she had right now. She had to get back to her normal body as soon as possible.


	5. Enrolling At Teitan Elementary - Part 1

入学帝丹小学校

部一つ

Enrolling At Teitan Elementary

Part 1

Ai did not like this at all. Normally, she was able to keep her cool, but now, she was freaking out internally. She wanted her correct age back, and she wanted it now. It wasn't very hard when she had done it the first time, but now that she was going through Elementary again instead of her normal High School, it was understandable that she would be freaking out.

Elementary School kids could get physically vicious, punching and kicking others. Highschoolers could get mean as well, but they mostly used words and were, therefore, less dangerous.

The teacher, one Kobayashi-sansei, stood next to Ai at the front of the room. "Alright everybody, before we begin, I would like to introduce a new student. This here is Haibara Ai from right here in Tokyo. I hope you'll all make her feel welcomed."

She silently gulped, feeling a slight knot in her throat. Despite her worries, the students didn't look threatening in the slightest. In fact, almost all of them looked like they wanted to become her friend.

However, Ai really wasn't one who made many friends, as people often found her to be cold and unfriendly. That reputation of hers was also made clear by her sense of humor. Seeing all those murders gave her humor a bit of a snarky, sarcastic twist. Just as well, she couldn't get too attached to anyone in the class, because once she became Shiho again, she would have to leave this life behind.

Once it came time for her to pick as seat, she started wandering down the aisles, trying to find a good place to sit. "You can sit here if you want!"

Ai turned her attention to a girl her new age. She had short, brunette hair, and was wearing a pink headband. The girl smiled at her kindly. Figuring it couldn't hurt, Ai sat in the open spot on the table. "My name is Yoshida Ayumi. It's nice to meet you."

Ai's worries slowly started to dissipate as the girl held out her hand with a smile. So she took it. "Likewise. I'm My- er, Haibara Ai."

Smiling, the two looked back up at the front. However, it wasn't until a few seconds later that she felt someone poking her from behind. Sitting behind her, she found two very hopeful-looking boys smiling at her. They both held out their hands to her. "Welcome to Teitan Elementary, Haibara-san. I'm Tsuburaya Mitsuhiko."

"And I'm Kojima Genta." The other boy introduced.

Ai smiled slightly and shook both of their hands. "Pleasure to meet you both."

Well, it at least seemed as if things were going smoothly. Ai was okay with that for now.

* * *

The day was halfway over, and now came time for recess. That was incredibly childish in Ai's opinion. After all, it wasn't like she needed it anymore. She never really was one for sports. She always preferred to stay inside, reading books or practicing experiments. Unfortunately, due to her current situation, she would have to act like a kid. It was exhausting really. Especially in front of Akemi.

It was her first time getting caught up in the middle of the recess rush. That meant that Kobayashi-sensei would be asking students to get balls and other outdoor toys from the locker. Two students, a boy and a girl, both went to the lockers outside to get the supplies for their class. Ai sighed internally, as it seemed that recess preparations were taking longer than usual. "Um, excuse me, Haibara-san."

The bored girl looked up to find her table partner looking back at her with a hopeful expression. "Since you're new here and don't have any friends, would you like to play with us today?"

Knowing she wouldn't have anything better to do if she said no, Ai agreed. "Sure, why not."

She stood up from her desk and joined the Ayumi girl in walking out the classroom door. "Kyaaaaaa!"

The screaming immediately captured everyone's attention, and Ai's detective instincts kicked in, having her run out of the room and down the long hall. She arrived at the lockers, seeing the same boy and girl from before, standing in front of an empty class locker. The rest of the students were shocked to find their precious play items missing. Kobayashi-sensei didn't have a clue about any of it.

As she was looking though the empty locker, something caught her eye. She reached down and picked it up, observing it. "Rope fibers?"

They were a blue color, so she concluded that they came from a multi colored jump rope. She turned to the teacher. "Kobayashi-sensei, we need to do a perimeter search. Have some students search the classrooms and have another group search outside. We need to know if anyone was in these halls prior to the theft."

Kobayashi blinked. "U-Um, okay."

"I'll examine this locker to see if I can find any more clues to lead us toward the perpetrator."

"Um, Haibara-san,"

Ai found Ayumi looking at her a little curiously. "What is it?"

"It's just, why are you speaking like a grown-up?"

Ai paused immediately as she realized what she was doing. "U-U-Um, it's just something I saw on a crime show, heh, heh."

Nevertheless, Ai's advice was taken, and groups of two were sent to patrol different areas. No one managed to find anything, inside or out. Ai was curious as to what had happened, and was on the case. Her biggest problem would be hiding her true age. "Yoshida-san, what exactly was kept in the locker?"

Ayumi looked up at the ceiling and thought back. "Well, let's see, there were five soccer balls, three jump ropes, three baseballs, and two bats. Why do you want to know?"

Ai didn't answer, but instead she thought to herself. "One person carrying all those would be pretty easy to spot, even if they were carrying them in a bag. So I wonder how they could have done it..."

* * *

Kobayashi-sensei was able to provide Ai with the information that only three students had left the class during the allotted time. Ikeda Hayate, a boy who sat at the front of the class, claiming he left to get a drink of water. Matsuoka Hiroko, a shy girl who had left to go check out books. And finally, Saito Kouki, who had received a call from the principal.

Each of them had the opportunity to take the supplies, and now Ai had tasked herself with interviewing them. "Ikeda-kun, you say you only went to get a drink of water. How long were you gone?"

The boy looked to the ground and shrugged. "I don't know, maybe, five minutes."

Ai turned to her teacher. "Is this correct, Kobayashi-sensei?"

She nodded, still going along with Ai's investigation. Having finished, she moved on to the next suspect. "Matsuoka-san, can you confirm that you were at the library?"

Slowly, the girl nodded. "Yes, I can. The librarian can tell you."

Ai made a clear mental note to go to the library and ask. "And what about you, Saito-kun?"

He raised his hands defensively. "I really did get called to the principal's office! you heard the announcement yourself!"

Knowing that was true, Ai dismissed her interviews. The three from earlier, Ayumi, Genta, and Mitsuhiko, were watching her as she handled the case in such a professional manner. "Haibara-san is really amazing isn't she?"

Ayumi nodded. "Yeah. It's her first day and she already seems so confident."

Genta sighed. "I wish we could be as cool as that."

Mitsuhiko thought for a second. "Maybe we can be."

Ayumi blinked. "What do you mean?"

Mitsuhiko smiled determinately, already forming a plan in his mind. "I mean, if we become friends with her, she could teach us what she knows, and we could form a detective group!"

Genta and Ayumi were immediately on board. "That's a great idea! But, what should we call ourselves?"

"Oh, how about the Unajuu Seekers Club!"

Mitsuhiko wasn't at all surprised. "I was thinking more along the lines of the Shounen Tantei-Dan."

"Shounen Tantei-Dan? You mean like in Edogawa Rampo's stories?"

"Yep, that's the one."

Within the next few seconds, Ayumi had scooped him up into a big hug. "You're so smart, Mitsuhiko-kun!"

While said Mitsuhiko was blushing like crazy, Genta glared at him, jealous that he wasn't receiving the same attention.

* * *

"I still don't understand why you guys had to follow me here. I'm perfectly capable of doing this myself."

The three of them nervously laughed. "We only want to help with the case."

Ayumi explained. Knowing there was nothing she could really do about it, Ai sighed and turned her attention to the librarian. "Excuse me, Obaasan."

The librarian looked at her and smiled. "Yes dear, what can I do for you?"

"Do you know if a girl came in here around eight to check out some books?"

She smiled wider. "Yes, she did. I even have data in the computer."

The librarian pulled up the recorded data on the computer and showed it to the group. According to the information, she had checked out two books, one called "Namesake," and the other called, "Stand Still, Stay Silent."

Ai nodded. "I see. Thank you for telling us."

The woman smiled. "You're welcome."

As Ai and the group walked towards the door, the shrunken Shiho noticed something on the ground. She bent over to pick it up, using her handkerchief, as it looked familiar. "Jump rope fibers?"

Ayumi looked back. "What's that, Haibara-san?"

The boys were staring at the rope fiber as well, wondering what it might mean. Finally, Ai looked up at the group. "So, why were you really following me?"

The three of them tensed up, looking to each other for answers. Finally, Mitsuhiko explained, "Well, we saw you handling the situation back in the classroom, and we figured it would be a good idea if you taught us how to be real detectives."

Ai blinked. "You mean, like taking you all in as my apprentices?"

"Um, actually we were thinking we could form a detective group." Genta added.

Ai had to think about this for a second. She knew she wasn't supposed to get attached to any of the other kids here, but these three sounded so sincere and friendly. She didn't think that she could turn them away so easily. And besides, going though Elementary a second time would be much easier with someone to share it with. After a deep breath, she sighed. "Alright, I suppose it wouldn't hurt."

The other three got so excited that they cheered out loud. "Our first debut as the Shounen Tantei-Dan!"

Ai blinked. "Shounen Tantei-Dan?"

"E-Er, do you not like it?"

Ai only smiled. "It's perfect."

After the three of them had cheered themselves out, Genta asked, "So, what should we do next to solve the case?"

"In my tour of the school, I was shown a science lab. That's our next stop."

"Um, but why?" Ayumi asked, confused.

"Unlike professional thieves, a kid wouldn't think to wear gloves in order to hide their fingerprints. I'm going to teach you how to find and differentiate different finger prints using forensic science."

When the three of them had heard this, they turned to face each other. "That sounds so cool!"

Ai smiled at this, thinking that this first day wasn't so bad. Although with a case in need of solving, she knew it wouldn't end just yet.


End file.
